Spring-frog



(No ModeL) v J. T. RICHARDSON.

SPRING FROG.

No. 417,507. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

N. FEIERS. Plummuihugnphu. WuNngton. D G

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

J OHN T. RICHARDSON, OFHARRISBURG, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'lO ALEX- ANDER H. EGE, OF MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING-FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,507, dated December 1'7, 1889.

' Application filed June 26, 1889. Serial No. 316,620. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JonN T. RICHARDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, county of Dauphin, and State of 5 Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Frogs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of railway-frogs known as spring-frogs; and it consists in certain improvements in the construction of the same, as hereinafter shown and described.v

In this style of frogs it has heretofore been customary, in the main, .to -locate the spring thereof about equidistant between the apex. of the angle of the 'frog and the forward end of the same, or somewhat nearer the latter than said apex, in order to secure a maximum lateral motion of the movable wing-rail of the frog with a minimum contraction and expansion of the frog-spring, upon'which the efliciency of the spring-in the performance of its function depends. In my improvement, however, I not only secure the said required. maxim um and minimum action of said spring, but I at the same time change the location of the spring to a point adjacent and in close proximity to the said apex of the angle of the frog, as hereinafter more fully set forth. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a spring-frog embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view with movable wing-rail forced outward. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4riS 5 a detached view, enlarged, of the springs and housing, part of the latter being broken away to show the positions of the springs and their actuating parts. 4

In the drawings, B designates the fixed rail of the frog; 0, the tongue or frog-point, also fixed, and D the movable wing-rail, to which my improvement is attached.

It has been demonstrated in practice that the alternate contraction and expansion of 4 5 the spring or springs which hold the movable Wing-rail against the frog-point tends in time to deteriorate the springs, and that this deterioration is proportionate, other things being equal, to the extent or frequency of their action. I11 order to secure a maximum lateral movement of the Wing-rail D upon its center of motion dwith a minimum strain upon the springs, it has been customary to locate said springs as near as possible to said center of motion d; but it will be understood that if the said springs be located near the fulcrum d of the wingrail the mechanical advantage of the spring attained is ata minimum, and a very strong spring must consequently be employed. springs be located near the free end of the wing-rail, then, since they obviously are contracted to an extent equal to the said lateral movement of said Wing-rail, it follows that the wear and tear upon the springs from such excessive expansion and contraction will in a short time render them useless, and consequently dangerous. 7

By the novel arrangement of the springs and their connection with the movable wingrail, which I will now describe, I reduce the Wear and tear of the springs to a minimum, while a at the same time the power of the springs is most effectively applied.

The springs, which are preferably coiled and placed in cylindrical cells h h of a carrier or housing H, are connected with the rail D through the rods 0 T, which are swiveled at Z Z to a lever L, which in turn is connected to a lug d, projecting from the wing-rail. The fulcrum 5, upon which the lever L turns, is preferably situated between the two rods r-r, connecting the springs therewith, and this arrangement makes it necessary that the springs, which reciprocate, the rods 4 r to move the lever L and the wing-rail D, should act in opposite directions in order to conjointly affect and move the lever. This I accomplish by confining the springs between some stationary parts of the housing H, as

the heads of the cells and disks or plungers n a, secured to the rods 'r 0", which disks or plungers are arranged to bear against opposite ends of the springs. Thus, in the arrangement shown in the drawings, when the rail D is forced by the car-wheels from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, the lever L is turned on its fulcrum, forcing outward the disk 42, and thereby compressing the spring E and drawing inward the disk n toalso compress the spring E.

In order to prevent any lateral deflection Moreover, if the 60 of the springs when under compression, I prefer to extend the connecting-rods through both of them and to place them in the cells or compartments h h, although other means of retaining them in working position might be employed.

The housing H is made preferably of castiron, the cylindrical cells or compartments h h, each open at one end, being connected by a plate or web g. The housing II is fulcrumed to' some stationary objeetas the clamp-plate F of the switch struetuieby a bolt 1', passing through the plate g, and is pivotally connected to the lever L by means of a plate or arm 9', which is shown as extending between the plates of which the lever L is formed and to which it is connected by the pivot-pin 1''. These swivel bolts or pivots i and t" perform very important functions, as they permit a lateral or turning motion of the housing II, allowing it to accommodate itself to the different positions of the wing-rail as it swings from and toward the frog-point, and also as the position of the lug (1 changes by reason of contraction or expansion caused by changes in temperature.

The stop S is preferably made to perform the double function of preventing the twisting of the lever L and also limiting the outer motion of the rail D; but it may be made to perform either function alone, if preferred.

The device described would operate were but one spring employed; but I prefer the construction shown.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim- 1. In a railway-frog, the combination of the movable wing-rail, the spring for forcing it toward the frog-point, and a lever connected with the said rail and acted upon by the said spring, substantially as set forth.

2. In a railway-frog, the combination of the movable wing-rail, two springs for moving the said rail, and a lever connected with the said rail and with both of the said springs and having its fulcrum between the connections with the springs, substantially as set forth.

3. In a railway-frog, the combination of the movable Wingrail, the lever L, connected therewith, the two springs supported against stationary bearings at their opposite ends, and the rods connected with the lever upon opposite sides of its fulcrum and carrying disks which bear upon the ends of the springs 0pposite their stationary bearings, substantially as set forth.

4. In a railway-frog, the combination of the movable wing-rail, a spring operating upon the said rail, and a pivoted housing or carrier for the spring, substantially as set forth.

5. In a railway-frog, the combination of the movable wing-rail, a spring operating to force the rail toward the frog-point, a pivoted housing or carrier for the spring, and a lever interposed between the spring and the rail, substantially as set forth.

(3. In arailway-f'rog, the combination of the movable wing-rail, a spring operating to force the rail toward the frog-point, a pivoted housing or carrier for the spring, and a lever connected with the rail and also with the said housing or carrier and transmitting the 1110- tion of the spring to the rail, and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

7. In a railway-frog, the combination of the movable wing-rail, a lever L, connected therewith, a spring housing or carrier pivotally connected with the lever and pivoted to some stationary object, the springs mounted in the said housing or carrier, and the connectingrods having springrcompressing disks between the springs and the said lever upon opposite sides of the fulcrum of the lever, substantially as set forth.

8. In a railway-frog, the combination, with the movable wing-rail and its springs, of a housing II for the springs, having the cells for the springs, each cell having one end open, the open ends being opposite each other, and the connecting-plate g, substantially as set forth.

In testimony WhereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.IOIIN T. RICHARDSON.

Vitnesses:

R. S. CARE, A. E. BRANDT. 

